Scrubber Uptake Hits 4,000 Ships

As of March 2020, there are approximately 4,000 ships fitted or about to be fitted with a scrubber, according to the data from the DNV GL classification society.

Interest in scrubbers peaked in 2018 and 2019 ahead of the implementation of the IMO 2020 sulphur cap that entered into force in January 2020.

Until the spring of 2018, only about 400 vessels had installed scrubbers, mainly operating in Emissions Control Areas. From the summer of 2018 until September 2019, orders accelerated quickly, with more than 3,000 vessels, corresponding to approximately 15% of global marine fuel consumption, according to DNV GL.